


Seashells and Forgotten Faces

by spicyginger911



Series: TMA Fantasy Week but Two Days Late [1]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: F/M, For tma fantasy week, Gen, M/M, Sailor Jon, also I love small majick charms and stuff, but also friendly too if you want, but two days behind, cause they are so subtle and rlly cute okay!, like good luck charms and protective ones, you could read into this as romantic relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 21:13:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29939454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spicyginger911/pseuds/spicyginger911
Summary: Despite his sailing trip being two years ago, Jon can't seem to let go of the people he met.However they can't let go of him either.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood & Sasha James & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist & Tim Stoker
Series: TMA Fantasy Week but Two Days Late [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2201838
Kudos: 8





	Seashells and Forgotten Faces

  
The ocean was a wild force at the best of times and deadly at the worst.

There wasn't one way to describe the beautiful ways the waves rolled in on each other, nor one to really capture the feeling of hell breaking open beneath you and all your worse fears flooding to your head. 

  
Jonathan Sims had been on the water his whole life. Ever since his parents had passed away, he'd distracted himself out at sea with his grandmother. They'd owned a small sailboat and he'd learnt to manage the whole operation himself from the age of sixteen, and committed himself to a life at sea by nineteen.

It was a lonely existence but it was gratifying. It wasn't like he had any friends on land either.

So aged twenty one, Jonathan Sims pulled out the sails and prepared for another long, tiring journey across the coasts of London, feeling no regret. 

Well maybe one regret. 

The coast he'd stopped on hadn't had many interesting areas on it, hell, they didn't even have a cafe. But they did have-

"Are you leaving already?" Jon had already spotted Martin Blackwood before the other boy had spotted him and had silent hoped he could make a quick getaway. Apparently not. 

Martin had been the first person he'd met here, and had happily offered to show Jon across the coastal town, an offer Jon heartily accepted. Apparently he worked at the local cafe, a fact Jon had learnt after working on his ship late at night and being offered a small cup of tea with a note from him. 

The gesture touched him. Perhaps a bit too much. 

"I thought I told you this yesterday." Jon tried his best to appreciate the concern Martin put in for him, however, he really wasn't used to people caring that much about him. Instead his tone was blunt, and laced with a barely hidden aggressiveness. However this didn't stop Martin. 

The two months he'd spent here with Martin... he'd almost say they were friends. If Jonathan Sims was capable of making friends. Because, in all honesty, Jon considered the tall boy the closest he'd gotten to a friend. 

That was why he hadn't wanted to say goodbye. 

Jon's eyes widened as Martin started running towards him. If only he could get this boat off the shore before -

"Jon!" Martin was puffing beside him, having cleared the distance between them in a matter of seconds. For someone who didnt look the most physically fit, Martin could run even faster than him. 

Jon gave a wince, trying his best to avoid Martin's eyes as he fiddled with the sails. "I'm sorry, I need to head out before the winter-" 

Martin looked crushed. Dammit, this was why Jon tried to keep to himself. 

"... I might come past this year next year?" Jon had suggested. Martin's face lit up and Jon swore to keep that promise in spite of everything. 

"Yeah!" Martin agreed all too readily and Jon's heart beat. He wasn't sure what it was that made him feel awful. 

Perhaps it was because Martin looked so used to being turned down or perhaps it was because Martin had agreed to waiting a full year before meeting again, a meeting most people would refuse. 

"Yeah, that sounds-uhm, that sounds good! I'd like that." Martin was still smiling and Jon tried his best to not smile back, instead managing a grimace. 

"... I'll be back next year." Jon promised. 

That was the last he saw of Martin for a while. 

The next port Jon sailed into was a northern London one, and the winter had come. Luckily, he'd met an old childhood friend. 

"Jon!" Tim had called out to him across the dock and Jon hadn't even recognised him for a minute. Then he blinked and-

"Tim?" Jon blinked before walking towards him, hiding a stunned smile under his wooly clothes. Tim was grinning, and before Jon knew it he was forced into a very cuddly cuddle with the other man, being physically lifted off his feet with how tall Tim was now. 

They'd talked and Tim had shown Jon to his flat. For the first few nights Jon had stayed on the couch but after he'd come the nights had gotten harsher. 

And they'd shared a bed. 'Out of necessarity of course' Jon had insisted as Tim teased him. 

"Sure, necessarity. Whatever you want to tell yourself." Tim bumped Jon's elbow as the other boy had groaned. 

The next two months were filled with travel. Tim's city was filled with interesting tourist attractions, ice skating areas and so many popular winter attractions. Neither of the two cared for Christmas as a tradition, but Jon did notice a small gift wrapped for him a few days before. He resolved to get Tim something. 

"You shouldn't have!" Tim reacted with absolute delight to the small Christmas globe Jon had gotten of the two of them. Or was he reacted with delight to the chocolates? Jon couldn't tell. 

"I thought you might like it." Jon smiled a closed smile before quickly glancing out the window. His smile dimmed. "You know I have to leave in a few days-" 

"Let's enjoy it while we can then!" Jon didn't miss Tim's initial pause, however he was very thankful the other didn't push the issue. Although Jon still felt guilty as he tied his sails the next day and set off. 

This time it was a long abandoned shore, with no houses for miles. 

And this time it was a woman. 

"What are you doing so far out?" The girl had asked, tilting her head slightly. Her round glasses came up to her face and her hair hung in frayed strands around her. 

"Oh. I'm a sailor." Jon frowned. "Although... this is meant to be a township..." 

The girl laughed. "They took the town down years ago but keep it on maps for some reason. So many people think the towns still there its unreal." 

Jon managed a half smile before figuring he should at least introduce himself. "Oh, uhm, I'm Jonathan Sims." He held his hand out, slightly shaking for purposes outside of his knowledge. The girl took it. 

"Sasha. Sasha James." Sasha managed a small smile in response. 

"Lighthouse worker or adventurer?" In Jon's mind, there was only two reasons a person would both be out this far into the wilderness and know about how many people mistake this as a town.

"Lighthouse worker. Peaceful job. Although I wouldn't mind some company if you'd like to check out the place." 

Jon got the implication. "I mean, I did expect to stay here for at least two months." 

"I can provide for two months. As long as you're not an axe murderer or, like... a prick." 

Jon winced. "I mean people have called me a prick before-" 

Sasha let out a gasp of shock before rolling her eyes. "Well, guess you have to sleep outside on your little sailboat. Or with the wolves." 

It took Jon a moment and a small hesitant tap on the shoulder to realise Sasha was joking. 

"Oh!" Jon's eyes widened with realisation. "I mean, the woods can't be that bad right-" 

Jon stopped as Sasha gave him a stare. And then he gulped. 

Sasha lead him to the lighthouse, showing him around the very crowded place. It was brimming with personality and unlike Tim's place, had two double beds. Jon wondered for a second why a lighthouse would have two beds before deciding it wasn't his business. 

Over the next two months, she'd showed him the forest paths and had explained to him her studies, apparently the reason she was here was for 'marine research.' Even after a full explanation Jon didn't quite understand. 

However he nodded along so he was ninety nine percent Sasha thought he understood. So she'd kept explaining. 

It was quite fascinating to listen to another person talk about their interests however, and she'd let Jon talk about his. Almost too soon, the two months was up. 

Jon had to go home. 

He'd got the notice after stepping into his old house. Oh. 

His grandmother had... passed away. 

He cried freely that night. In the house that was his now, for the person he would now never get another chance to try to impress. 

He cried harder. 

He wasn't sure how long he spent at home. Away from the ship, away from the sea, burying in pages and pages of documentation regarding the sea as if that would be a substitute. 

He'd missed the date he was meant to see Martin. And then the day went by for Tim, and Sasha. It didn't help with the guilt. 

He'd buried himself in a land job, a corner shop cashier. He maintained his distance with everyone, pushing people away that got too close. Melanie, Basira and Daisy had all been pushed away - his co-worker for the corner store. Yet again, they didn't push to be his friend in the first place. 

The only person he'd let close had been Georgie and she was as bad as him. Let's just say the additional burden was a bit too much. 

He'd dream about the ocean each night but... couldn't bear to leave the shore. In case something bad happened. 

His grandmother did always say he needed to grow up. 

It was a full year and a half when he'd notice a seashell on his doorstep. He was just about to crush it under his shoe too, until he noticed it. And picked it up. 

It was a strange colour, a light blue almost like ice and it caved in on itself. Jon turned it over in his hands. A small conch shell. 

Jon smiled. It did remind him of Martin but then again, what didn't remind him of his old friends these days. He tucked it in his pocket, putting it next to his computer once he got inside. 

Oh wait. 

Jon noticed a small note wrapped inside it. 

"A protection charm. For travelling." 

The handwriting wasn't familiar but it felt... safe. Protective. Jon resolved to make it into a necklace, despite how creepy the situation may have seemed. 

He did hold onto the thought that Martin had come looking for him and delivered it for him, despite the fact that was impossible due to the fact Martin lived on the other side of England and he had no idea where Jon's house was. Still, Jon held onto the thought as a deep fantasy, one he resolved to not share with anyone. 

Melanie had asked him about it the next day at work. Jon had refused to explain. 

It was a few months before the next one came. This one was a wentrap shell with a dark shade of red. It was beautiful, with a glossy texture making it hard to ignore. 

Jon checked for text for this one. It was different writing than before, a bit more sketchy. 

"A stress reliever." 

As Jon rubbed the shell had did indeed feel less stressed. However there was a thing as placebos, and he couldn't not convince himself that the shell was only that. A placebo. 

Still he placed it on his necklace, thanking Tim, even if the boy had nothing to do with the shell. 

Daisy had glanced curiously at it for a second at work before going back to her job. Jon counted that as approval. 

The next shell was a rare junonia shell, with the normal orange and white colours. Jon yet again checked it for a note. 

"For good luck." The writing was looopy but readable. Jon smiled as he thought of endless marine biology textbooks scribbled over with that pen. But he was sure it was a coincedance, however much he deeply wished it wasn't. 

Jon added it to the necklace. 

Basira had taken a look at it at work, cocking one eye up at Jon. "Missing the sea are we?" 

Jon didn't reply, lost in thought. 

He was, so very much, missing the sea, he wished for nothing more than to go back to the open waters and sail back to the friends he'd forgetten. 

Jon got home that night, glancing at the forgetten sailboat he'd let go to ruin. 

He could go back out if he wanted to. He had enough money to sail for at least a few more years with the only thing stopping him being his thoughts. And guilt. 

Would they even like him anymore? Would they still live where they used to, how would Jon find them again? What if-

Jon was spiralling into the same self doubt spiral he'd dug himself into so many times in the past year. But now he had enough knowledge to know that that's what was happening. 

And to know the only thing to do by this stage would be to take the leap. 

Jon took a breath in, tighting the ropes on his boat and leaving the shore for the first time in years. 


End file.
